User Reviews

THE CRAB WITH THE GOLDEN CLAWS is a notable TINTIN adventure in that it introduces our intrepid reporter to the one and only Captain Haddock, the larger-than-life ship's captain who often dominates the proceedings with his incessant cursing, his pratfalls, and his drunken ways. The story is also packed with action and full of danger, which makes it vintage entertainment for Tintin fans.

There's a nautical bent to the thrust of this film's narrative with a brief sojourn in the desert just for contrast. Tintin's investigation of an apparent drowning and scrap of crab-tin paper clutched in the dead man's hand leads him to the usual conspiracy involving a drug-smuggling gang. The Thompson Twins show up and are typically more of a hindrance than a help, although Haddock's personality shines through in this one and that alone makes it a superior adventure.

After a dead seaman is found in the waters of a seaport, Thompson and Thomson are put onto the case, but Tintin sees a bit of evidence from the victim that looked familiar. It was a bit of paper ripped off a crab meat tin. On the paper is the word Karaboudjan, which Tintin finds is a ship that's filled with drug smugglers moving opium in the tins. For getting to close, they lock him in a room on the ship when his checking it out with the Thompson and Thomson. When escaping into another cabin, he bumps into the ship's Captain Haddock. Who's alcoholic ways are being taken advantage by his first mate Allan, so he can carry the drugs without his knowledge. They manage to escape in a safety rowing boat, but they face trouble when a plane starts shooting, at them.

"The Crab with the Golden Claws" is Herge's ninth comic strip album of "The Adventures of Tintin" and the first episode (part 1 of 2) of Season 1. What makes this adventure a milestone, is for the reason that Tintin meets Captain Haddock, who would go onto be his main side-kick that basically more then so overshadowed him. From this beginning, you knew Haddock was a character to keep along, and the contrasting personalities between the two evened out nicely. The first encounter is a real hoot, and it crackles with his infamous cursing. On this outing Tintin is on the travel with most of action occurring out a sea on a shipping vessel. The opening of the story is pretty grim, hazy and atmospheric. This kinda stays like that throughout with the dark mystery creating tight spurts of tension and the occasional surprise within the drug smuggling foray. Although Tintin seems to take a few blows to the back of the head early on and some discoveries feel more like an accident, but that's just part of parcel on a Tintin adventure. Thompson and Thomson never disappoint with their reliable persona's making sure there's plenty of agreeably blundering humour to go around. Allen, the Captain's first mate would go on to appear in another adventure and makes for an exemplary foe. Pretty much a typical Tintin adventure with a little more menace, but Haddock's inclusion adds much more energy, colour and randomness to the whole event.

This is a great start to the show, and it's actually a better episode than i remembered.

It's action packed and exciting with lots of adult themes: drug smuggling, plenty of guns, kidnapping.

Snowy is adorable and gets some great moments. Already a fully fledged character, not just a dog that tags along.

We also get introduced to Captain Haddock the drunk, who is a fun character.

A bit too much nonsense slapstick with the detective twins.

The portrayal of the Japanese policeman would be curious to modern audiences.